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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320674">Cheap Service</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoru_chibimaster/pseuds/Kaoru_chibimaster'>Kaoru_chibimaster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Artificial Limbs, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:47:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320674</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoru_chibimaster/pseuds/Kaoru_chibimaster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxas figured he had a good reason to close his clinic for fall festival.</p>
<p>Well, after a visit from his favorite patient, he figured he had two.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cheap Service</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/numbercrunch/gifts">numbercrunch</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Halloween, codex! It was interesting trying to write a cyberpunk without getting too worldbuild-y but I hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>13 West Deling Square was a drab little building located in the Radiant Garden undercity, just off the beaten path if one followed the waterway up from the Rising Falls. Gray and boring and undecorated, despite the ongoing fall festival that the Topsiders, those snooty bastards living in their splendorous <em>Garden</em>, consumed as greedily as a child might a handful of pocket candy.</p>
<p>Actually, children looking for candy handouts weren’t too uncommon this time of year anyway.</p>
<p>Too bad for them. Roxas was <em>distinguished</em>; he was a prosthetist, and a damn professional one at that, and he did not hand out candy to ungrateful little shits that liked to poke at his bolts and gears.</p>
<p>He was still steaming about the one that just had to knock over an entire table of prosthetic extremities. Roxas didn’t even know what the kid was reaching for—he didn’t even have to move his arms! He was getting a replacement finger after sticking his own in a blender, like any little genius would, and moving was counterproductive to the entire process!</p>
<p>This always happened every time he worked with kids. Always. Especially those three gremlins that liked to wreak havoc everywhere they went. The ones with the exploding pumpkin gadgets—what were their names…? Snot, Loot and Baddy?</p>
<p>Whatever, they were evil and Roxas wasn’t putting up with them this fall.</p>
<p>No, he was not putting up with <em>any</em> more snotty noses and dirty bibs! Enough was enough!</p>
<p>“I’m closing for the fall festival!”</p>
<p>Roxas’ sudden exclamation had his assistant technician flailing for the pliers that had just slipped from between her fingers when she jumped, and she was quick to turn a dirty look on him.</p>
<p>“Where the hell did that come from?! Anyway, you can’t close for a festival.”</p>
<p>Roxas didn’t see why not. Everyone else did.</p>
<p>Granted, only the Topsiders had the munny and luxury necessary to take that kind of time off in the first place, but fuck it. Who was going to tell Roxas no? He owned his own business, he could make his own rules. Sure, injuries down in grungy little Hollow Bastion tended to increase tenfold when large events happened, especially when the police got involved—and they <em>always</em> got involved, but Roxas was beyond the point of caring. He wasn’t a charity and he wasn’t working with cheap shit; why should he undercut his own prices?</p>
<p>Maybe he oughta move topside somewhere in the next century. At least those snobby bastards had munny.</p>
<p>Too bad it took munny to even so much as glimpse topside. God, just the thought of it pissed Roxas off.</p>
<p>“I can and I will,” he huffed, stomping over the assorted collection of cyberchips that littered the floor until he came to a stop at his front door. The window was small, just enough to see through without having to squint, but not nearly large enough for anyone to try to squeeze through. He wasn’t willing to take chances with his parts; having a thief try and shimmy through his window was the worst-case scenario.</p>
<p>“I have no appointments set up for the next couple of days anyway. I could use a break,” Roxas shrugged, watching wind blow trash around in the street. It was as grey and dreary outside as it was inside, and once night hit, only the neon glow of invasive advertisement and open signs would light one’s way. That wasn’t too far away either. Roxas was more than ready to close up shop.</p>
<p>“You don’t have any <em>new</em> appointments. There’s still maintenance and repair,” Xion reminded him, finally dropping the artificial kneecap she was so ardently trying to rewire. Stupid thing was busted after overloading and no amount of small home tinkering would’ve gotten it to walk right. It needed a professional’s touch, much to the misfortune of its owner.</p>
<p>Though Roxas couldn’t deny that he looked forward to said owner coming in for repairs. More than happy, in fact. A little too happy.</p>
<p>He couldn’t help it. Said client was downright gorgeous.</p>
<p>Hell, Roxas was almost tempted to keep the shop open, just to see him.</p>
<p>Of course, it wasn’t hard for Xion to guess his thought process judging by the smirk that crossed her face.</p>
<p>“What about that one client? Y’know, the hot one?”</p>
<p>Roxas eyed her with a suspicious grimace, not quite sure what to make of her quip.</p>
<p>“I can’t tell if you’re making a bad pun or if you’re just teasing me.” The guy did set himself on fire, after all. Accidentally, of course. “Hot” was an apt description.</p>
<p>“Teasing you,” Xion grinned. “But I’ve got plenty of bad puns too if you want me to dish some out.”</p>
<p>“Please don’t. I hear enough of those from the supply guy.” Except there was usually more music involved, especially with that synth sitar that said supply guy liked to lug around.</p>
<p>Eh, well… He was discreet when he wasn’t singing.</p>
<p>“His puns are like Dad jokes, though. Only he thinks he’s funny.”</p>
<p>What a replica knew about Dad jokes, Roxas couldn’t begin to say. He knew better than to bring that up to Xion though. He didn’t want her throwing the pliers at him. Or the leg.</p>
<p>“And anyway,” she continued, waving said pliers in his direction before tossing them in the toolbox. “You’re trying to change the subject. You’re seriously gonna try to tell me you won’t open those doors for Ex-Dr. Faremis?”</p>
<p>“Don’t call him that…” There were <em>two</em> ex-Dr. Faremis’s, after all. One of them was murdered.</p>
<p>Roxas didn’t want to curse the one who was still alive or anything. He wasn’t typically into believing superstitions, but it was around that season and in these streets, one needed all the good luck they could get.</p>
<p>Besides, this Dr. Faremis already wasn’t the most fortunate of men considering his own circumstances. Not many who fell from the Garden made any sort of comeback. Most ended up on the streets either selling parts, drugs or themselves.  Some, like good ole “ex-Dr. Faremis”, found a way to use their skills in the underground. Even if said uses weren’t the most legal.</p>
<p>Roxas only really got to know the man through casual conversation while he ran maintenance on his artificial limbs. Dr. Lea Faremis—or Axel, rather, as he preferred to be called—was a chatty customer, but Roxas never minded. He had a nice voice, the kind that would have one sinking into their couch as they listened to it, and his story was an intriguing one. Roxas had learned it in pieces with each visit, but by now he figured he had a good idea of the whole puzzle. Axel had been a castle scientist working directly under Ansem. Distinguished and educated, making the sort of munny Roxas could only dream of for ten years, only for it all to go up in smoke. Literally. Axel was lucky to come out of that experience with his life, but unfortunately it’d cost him his job and two of his limbs. He’d been stuck in Hollow Bastion ever since, trying to scrounge up whatever cash he could to keep up the maintenance on his prosthetics.</p>
<p>It was a shame, really. Rare was the day Roxas held sympathy for Topsiders, but Axel had seemed like an honest worker just trying to make a living. Besides, it was hard to not feel at least a little bad for someone who practically blew himself up. And Axel had such a way with people… There was no way Roxas couldn’t have warmed up to him eventually. He was so energetic. Open. But that didn’t mean he had to linger when he visited. He didn’t have to talk with Roxas the way he did. He was a good-looking guy, he could’ve hung around on <em>anyone’s</em> operation table chit-chatting for hours. For any other customer, Roxas would’ve preferred to not be bothered, but he was glad it was his that Axel chose. He <em>wanted</em> to be the one Axel chose.</p>
<p>Roxas was, admittedly, enamored with him. Downright smitten, even.</p>
<p>“There goes that dreamy look again,” Xion sighed, shaking him out of his thoughts. “Why don’t you just ask him out?”</p>
<p>“That’s unprofessional.” It was also a piss-poor excuse, but it was the only one Roxas had.</p>
<p>“Oh please, Rox. You and I both know no one gives a damn down here. Maybe if you were living up in the Garden someone would. Frankly in good ole Hollow Bastion, people just want you to replace their squishy meat appendages.”</p>
<p>Gross.</p>
<p>She wasn’t wrong, and it wasn’t like Roxas hadn’t gotten up close and personal with said “squishy meat appendages”, but still. Gross.</p>
<p>“Don’t you have an update to run or something? Quit using logic on me; go make yourself useful,” he huffed, jokingly of course, waving his hand at Xion to shoo her away. Snorting, she sifted through the mess on the floor until she had a small handful of cyberchips before turning and making her dramatic exit, huffing and puffing all the while.</p>
<p>“You’re only pissy because I’m right! Might want to fix your face before he gets here, by the way.”</p>
<p>Blinking in surprise, Roxas returned his attention to the window to find that there was indeed a figure hobbling towards his clinic. A familiar tall and lanky figure, limping with a favor for his left leg. His current prosthetic was a holdover until he could get the cybernetic one reattached, and only used because he needed to be able to walk. His arm went without, leaving his right shirt sleeve flapping in the wind in his rush to make it to the clinic. Having no scheduled appointment, Axel was most likely coming in to set one up for later on in the week.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Roxas couldn’t give him back his shiny cybernetic limbs sooner. There was still work to be done.</p>
<p>Roxas watched him with pursed lips and wringing fingers, not sure how he was going to break the news without feeling bad. Roxas wasn’t exactly planning on going back on his words—he didn’t want to see anyone <em>else</em> limping up to his shop, after all—but this client was more of a special case.</p>
<p>Roxas wouldn’t admit aloud that he’d given Axel more discounts than he could actually afford, just to keep him coming back. It was no surprise then, especially to himself, that he was willing to keep the clinic open just for Axel as well.</p>
<p>Ha. How sad.</p>
<p>“Hey, Tron. Scan the perimeter for me,” he mumbled, mentally kicking himself back to attention. The city’s central security program, originally meant to keep crime off the streets, had long since been relegated to a souped-up security camera. It didn’t really <em>do</em> much—unless you lived in the castle, maybe—but at the very least it meant Roxas could comfortably stick his head out of the door without having to worry about someone lurking behind it.</p>
<p>“Running executable,” echoed Tron’s grainy response throughout the room. Predictably, Xion’s offended voice followed.</p>
<p>“I could’ve done that!”</p>
<p>She was easily ignored.</p>
<p>Xion made for a brilliant assistant and an incredible defense system, but replicas were a little too human for Roxas to feel comfortable using her the way he did Tron.</p>
<p>Also she was nosy enough without him inviting her into his business.</p>
<p>“No hostiles in the vicinity. Though you do have a particularly persistent admirer trudging up the street,” Tron announced with a noticeably smug tone.</p>
<p>Ah of course. Because it was just Roxas’ luck that the city defense system would poke fun at him too.</p>
<p>“Thanks for telling me what I already know,” Roxas griped, fingers tightening around the door handle in annoyance. He waited for the alarm to temporarily disable itself, as it always did once Roxas had the go-ahead, listening for the telling release of air when the seal lifted before finally opening his door to his evening visitor.</p>
<p>The glow of neon filtered into his clinic as lights started to turn on, one by one. The streets were quiet for now but they’d liven up once participants of the night life started to stumble drunkenly through them, making noise and blasting music that Roxas was sure not even the Falls could block out. Of course, this meant law enforcement would be out in force as well. Keeping the people in check with scanners and stunners until some fool ended up harassing them into using lethal force.</p>
<p>Not that this was hard to do.</p>
<p>It’d be even worse for the replicas. Stunners were lethal to them, and pigs never stopped to check whether or not their targets were human.</p>
<p>Just a typical night in good ole Hollow Bastion. Roxas was glad to stay out of it.</p>
<p>Instead he focused in on a pair of shining green eyes, glinting in the harsh glow of hot pink from the billboard above Roxas’ clinic as his feet scrapped the concrete of the steps leading up to Roxas’ clinic. The tall, thinly muscled profile, lopsided a bit as its owner cocked his hip to the side, trying not to put too much pressure on the creaky replacement leg he’d been stuck with for the last two days. All topped off with an amused curl of his lips. Not malicious, but knowing. Pleased. Attractive.</p>
<p>Roxas couldn’t help that his gaze lingered on those lips. Watching eagerly even as they started to form words.</p>
<p>“Evening, Doc,” Axel grinned, saluting lightly with his left hand—well, his only hand seeing as the robotic one was still in Roxas’ back room—before stepping inside. Roxas slid out of his way, watching bemused as Axel reacquainted himself with his surroundings. As if he hadn’t been in here dozens of times for maintenance. He was probably as familiar with the operation room as Roxas was, including all of its drab nooks and crannies and old, overused equipment.</p>
<p>“Great aesthetic going on, as always.”</p>
<p>Okay, and he was a bit of a smartass about it too.</p>
<p>Roxas’ clinic was cluttered, small, and probably violated more health codes than there were Hollow Bastion residents, but he kept it clean and made sure that his clients waited outside if he was already working with someone so as to prevent contamination. He didn’t have much of a choice when it came to the composition of his workspace, having bought it off that crackpot Finkelstein, who believed hygiene was an optional matter in his operation room, but he liked to believe it wasn’t that bad. At least <em>he</em> wasn’t on the run for human experimentation.</p>
<p>And seriously, he’d seen similar nightmares down in here in the Rising Falls. He was by far one of the better choices when one needed to visit the doctor.</p>
<p>“Clearly, seeing as you keep coming back,” he huffed, not quite able to quell the upward quirk at the corner of his lips. It ruined the severe image he was going for.</p>
<p>“Of course I gotta come back. I could never resist that adorable face.”</p>
<p>“Oh so we’re going with flattery now?” Roxas snorted, earning an even wider, now cat-like grin in return. He tried to ignore how warm the compliment made him feel. He was sure Axel meant nothing by it.</p>
<p>“Ain’t flattery if it’s true. Plus, you cost me an arm and a leg. Something’s gotta keep me coming back.”</p>
<p>Ha. <em>Ha haaaa</em>.</p>
<p>Alright, though Roxas couldn’t deny that he did indeed crack a smile behind that miserable pun. He tried instead to hide it behind a grimace.</p>
<p>“Go sit down, you cheap asshole.”</p>
<p>“You laughed, I saw it,” Axel snickered, complying with a wink and a hop in his step. The door shut behind them with a snap as the lock reset itself. Their footsteps echoed as Axel made for the operation table, Roxas trailing behind him at a slower pace. He figured Axel wasn’t here to get those aforementioned limbs back yet, seeing as he’d been told it’d be at least a week before he could use them again. He damn near ran them into the ground doing…whatever it was he did these days. Roxas didn’t pry.</p>
<p>“You know I can’t reattach anything yet, right?” he sighed, watching Axel shimmy his pants off before hopping up on the table.</p>
<p>“I know,” Axel shrugged, waving Roxas’ comment off as if it wasn’t pointing out that he had…not much reason to be here. “But I was hoping you might have a date for me? Maybe even run a check-up on the spare for me while I wait?”</p>
<p>“What, you wrecked this one too?” Not that Roxas was that concerned about it—it wasn’t as if he’d given Axel the spare, after all—but he found it amusing that his most frequent patient couldn’t even stay off his feet long enough to give even that sad hunk of gummi a break.</p>
<p>“What can I say? I stay on my toes to keep you on yours.”</p>
<p>Uh huh. Right.</p>
<p>“That why your leg always looks like it got hit by a train?” Roxas chuckled, snapping a pair of gloves on before running his fingers over the soft material. It was sturdy, despite the nicks that littered it, and despite how old and out-of-date it was, it was unlikely to have any debilitating issues. Maybe the socket might get loose, but Axel rarely let even the spare fall into serious disrepair. If anything, the spare was better off for the lack of risk of malfunction.</p>
<p>Too bad it left Axel with that nasty limp.</p>
<p>“If it didn’t, I wouldn’t get to see you anywhere near as often, would I? And that would just be a damn shame…”</p>
<p>Though that tripped him up a bit.</p>
<p>There went the flirting again. Roxas paused for a moment, his face warming with the beginnings of a blush as he willed himself not to take it too seriously. For all his pining, Axel’s carefree personality made it difficult to tell a serious pursuit from a thoughtless comment, and Roxas wasn’t looking to make a fool of himself assuming the former. Instead he ducked his head and grumbled quietly as he continued his work.</p>
<p>It was simple enough. Gummi technology was a wonder in and of itself, and even when used in basic prosthesis it held itself up pretty well. Roxas doubted he’d have to adjust or replace anything, and if Axel wanted the nicks smoothed out, it wouldn’t take longer than maybe five minutes. Beyond that, there wasn’t much else he could do. Gummi prosthetics made his job a lot easier because of that, especially when it came to check-ups and maintenance. The real work came in the replicated limbs. The kind of hard work that warranted this vacation Roxas was adamant on.</p>
<p>Speaking of…</p>
<p>“I’m closing for fall festival, by the way. Might take a little longer to get your arm and leg back to you,” he mumbled, slipping the socket from Axel’s residual. It slid off a little too easily, which probably exacerbated the limping, and Roxas contemplated casting a new one for Axel. He wasn’t sure if it was worth it, though. By the time he have gotten around to it, Axel’s actual replacement would be ready for him. The one in his hands was practically stone age tech these days, but Roxas could understand why the backup didn’t have nearly as much dough invested in it as the true replacement.</p>
<p><em>That</em> was the real wonder in artificial technology. So perfect it easily surpassed the original leg. The sort of thing that birthed replicas. Roxas was almost sad he was leaving Axel with this junk attached to his thigh instead.</p>
<p>Not quite sad enough to stay open, but still.</p>
<p>“Really? The whole week? Don’t you need the cash though?”</p>
<p>It wasn’t said in a condescending tone, but Roxas couldn’t help the mild irritation that colored his voice when he responded.</p>
<p>“I work every damn day. I think I earned it.”</p>
<p>Every day. Without fail. It was alarming how many people came to him looking for parts. Hollow Bastion really was the gutter if its citizens were constantly losing limbs.</p>
<p>“Hey, not saying you didn’t,” Axel said, holding his hand up in surrender. There was no need. The small bout of ire came and went just as fast. Roxas didn’t have a reason to be truly upset. “I was just wondering. Though that does suck that I have to wait. I am right-handed, you know. Technically.”</p>
<p>He garnered an eyeroll at that.</p>
<p>“You’re ambidextrous, don’t even.”</p>
<p>“So? Maybe I was just looking forward to seeing my favorite doctor this coming week.”</p>
<p>Roxas’ attention shifted slowly, carefully, until it focused on Axel’s face as he raised an eyebrow. Wondering what the hell was so special about him that Axel looked <em>forward</em> to these mundane check-ups.</p>
<p>“Who <em>wants</em> to go the doctor?”</p>
<p>“I mean.” The grin was back. Roxas’ eyes immediately shot back to Axel’s leg. “Who doesn’t look forward to seeing their sexy doctor?”</p>
<p>There he went with the flattery again. Honestly, what was he trying to accomplish with that? Aside from giving Roxas hope.</p>
<p>“I figured you were more worried about your janky leg when you came here.”</p>
<p>Axel snorted at that.</p>
<p>“You and I both know I don’t care enough about that thing to want you to fix it. I can put up with a limp for a few days if it means I get the nicer leg back. And the arm.”</p>
<p>“And you and I both know your limbs aren’t finished.” Between the recalibrating and the work that Xion was likely putting into the AI uploaded into those cyberchips she’d dragged along with her, and the fact that replicated skin was really difficult to obtain, Axel knew he wasn’t getting anything back today before Roxas had even spoken a word. So… “So why are you really here if you don’t care about this one?”</p>
<p>Axel’s eyeroll could nearly be <em>heard</em>, it was so pronounced.</p>
<p>“For being a doctor, you’re kind of a dingus.”</p>
<p>“Ouch.”</p>
<p>“Why do you think I’m here?” Axel asked, leaning forward until his elbow rested on his knee and a tiny smile played at his lips.</p>
<p>He wasn’t suggesting…?</p>
<p>No, there was no way. No way! That’d be <em>too</em> perfect.</p>
<p>“Well I doubt it’s because you find gummi tech all that fascinating. Is it because my door is bullet-proof?”</p>
<p>That was a reasonable excuse for coming to visit, after all. The good ex-Dr. Faremis sitting on Roxas’ table right now, getting a check-up on his shitty gummi leg, was clearly up to no good to be making the kind of munny needed for those ridiculously advanced limbs of his.</p>
<p>But, again, Roxas wouldn’t pry.</p>
<p>“Don’t play dumb blond with me Doc. I’m serious here.”</p>
<p>“Serious about what?” Roxas sighed, finally giving up this game of back-and-forth. He’d have thrown his arms up if he wasn’t sure he’d accidentally fling the leg in his hands at something important. “You can’t mean seeing <em>me</em>, can you?”</p>
<p>That would be ridiculous. Roxas was just some slum-dwelling doctor living in a cranny at the edge of town, hoping that his checks paid his bills and kept him fed and Xion powered. He wasn’t significant enough to turn heads.</p>
<p>“Um, duh. Anyone ever tell you how gorgeous you look in a lab coat?”</p>
<p>Or so he thought.</p>
<p>“Axel.”</p>
<p>“…You ever wear nothing <em>but</em> the lab coat?”</p>
<p>“Axel!”</p>
<p>“What? It’s a genuine question?”</p>
<p>Nothing could stop the grin that peeked out at that. Axel was only trying to add levity to the atmosphere, after all.</p>
<p>Clearly.</p>
<p>…Surely.</p>
<p>He couldn’t have actually meant he thought Roxas was…</p>
<p>No, there was no way. Right? No way! Ha ha…</p>
<p>Either way, the playful flirting was only ever that.</p>
<p>“Anyone ever tell you it’s weird to mack on your doctor?” he snorted, adjusting Axel’s sock before slipping the socket back over it. So focused on his task that he nearly missed the expression Axel made at him. The suggestive raise of his eyebrows and the tiny, coy smile playing at his lips.</p>
<p>Almost.</p>
<p>“Only if he doesn’t like it.”</p>
<p>Of course Roxas liked it. He liked it as much as he hated it, if only because he wanted it to be…serious…</p>
<p>Wait, was he…?</p>
<p>It was always playful flirting. It was <em>supposed</em> to be playful flirting. What about this was different?</p>
<p>The look on Axel’s face, maybe? The hope in his eyes? The quiet admittance that had slipped through his jovial mask? Roxas couldn’t stand not knowing.</p>
<p>“…What if he does like it?” Roxas asked quietly, focus shifting so that it remained trained on the table in hopes that Axel couldn’t look into his eyes and see his embarrassment. He’d never been so obtuse in this sort of situation before. He’d never had to confront the idea that someone he genuinely liked might…like him back. Axel must’ve thought he was a complete idiot.</p>
<p>“Then,” Axel started, trailing off into a short pause that almost magnetically pulled Roxas’ attention back to his face. So much for that plan. He couldn’t resist that emerald gaze. Or that pleased grin. “I hope he’s open to more of it. In a less professional setting, of course.”</p>
<p>Roxas couldn’t help the small, disbelieving laugh that slipped out. A very cynical part of him wondered if Axel was only looking Roxas’ way for the same reason anyone else ever had.</p>
<p>“You asking me on a date or are you just looking for a fuck?”</p>
<p>“The first one,” Axel shrugged. “I mean, I’m open to the second one if that’s what you want, but I was hoping it wouldn’t end there.”</p>
<p>Ha. He was so…blasé about it. But then, that was part of what Roxas liked about him. The sort of man who was unafraid to speak his mind. It made him easier to trust, at least.</p>
<p>And okay. It was kinda cute too.</p>
<p>…More than kinda cute.</p>
<p>“Alright then. A date it is.”</p>
<p>“Sweet! So, since you’re closing for the fall festival…?”</p>
<p>Of course it would come back to that. Roxas definitely couldn’t stop the full-on laughter that bubbled up and spilled over then. How ironically convenient.</p>
<p>Suddenly he was a lot more excited to close for the next week.</p>
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